Esa ..coping with social situations?

Hi , just quick question..regarding the ESA coping with social situations question .
Could the descriptor 16a " social contact is always precluded" still apply to me as I have a partner ? Do they include living with a partner as social contact with a familiar person ?
My partner is the only person I have social contact with but I don't know if they would consider living with someone as social contact and so descriptor 16a therefore wouldn't apply?

Thank you for any advice

Hello June2016

If you go to the 'Members only Guides' in the sidebar and

go to ESA claims

you will see a heading .Employment and Support Allowance Claims for Mental Health and Learning Difficulties. Download this document.

If you then go to Page 64 in the document, it describes fully what is required to score points for this descriptor.

Although you can make social contact with your partner, you have severe difficulties with interaction with other people and you should make this clear on your form - it explains in the Guide how you go about describing your interaction with other people.

Read it all through and if you can't quite 'get' how to phrase your answer, then get back to us and we'll see if we (or any other members) can help you to find the right words.

If you bookmark the page now you will be able to get back to us easily and we will know how to help you. Good luck with the form.

Thank you for getting back to me.

I'm actually waiting to hear back about my mandatory reconsideration after being placed into the WRAG, I was previously in the support group.

Would the DWP class living with my partner as social interaction and therefore say that social situations aren't always precluded ?

Hi June,

(Sorry Shelam, I pressed the thank you button by mistake!)

It could be argued that talking to people you live with, especially your partner or very close relatives is not social contact, although the DWP would probably disagree. It's quite difficult to score points for this descriptor, but if you have problems in this area I would recommend considering if you meet the exceptional circumstances regulations. Although the ESA50 questionnaire doesn't include a question regarding EC, you can give additional info at the end of the form.

If you were found fit for work or work-related activity and forced to regularly come into contact with people you don't know, would this result in a substantial risk of your health worsening?

Realistically, it's hard to imagine anyone who scores 6 points for this descriptor being able to cope with the demands of work and meeting people on a daily basis, and for this reason the exceptional circumstances regulations are becoming more and more applicable in many cases, especially for people with mental health problems.

Good luck,

Derek